Rate A-1 Residential Service
Applicable to residential and single phase farm services requiring transformer capacity of less than 75 kVA, subject to the established rules of the cooperative.
Service Availability Charge: $58.00
Energy Charge: $0.12799/ kWh
Rate A-5 General Service
Applicable to commercial, industrial, three phase farm service, schools, churches, and other uses requiring transformer capacity of less than 75 kVA. subject to the established rules of the cooperative.
Service Availability Charge:(single phase): $54.00
Service Availability Charge:(three phase): $64.00
Energy Charge: $0.12949/ kWh
Rate A-7 Large Power Service
Applicable for all uses requiring transformer capacity of 75 kVA or greater, subject to the established rules of the cooperative.
Service Availability Charge: $128.00
Demand Charge: $16.89 /kW
Energy Charge: $0.09789/ kWh
Rate A-16 Large Power/ Peak Sharing
Applicable to commercial, industrial, schools, churches, and farm consumers requiring 75 kVA or more of transformer capacity. Consumer must agree to interrupt to a specified load amount when requested by the cooperative. Subject to the established rules of the cooperative.
Service Availability Charge:(single phase): $128.00
Base level Demand Charge: $24.50 /kW
Incremental Demand Charge: $9.11 /kW
Energy Charge: $0.09789/ kWh
Rate A-18, A-20, A-24 Sub Metered Service (Rider)
Available to all members of the cooperative receiving electric service under any of the non-demand rate schedules. Member must have approved HVAC system by the cooperative. Subject to the established rules of the cooperative.
Service Availability Charge: $5.00
Energy Charge: $0.10689/ kWh
Rate A-25 All Electric Controlled Residential Apartments
Applicable to residential uses in an apartment building consisting of 3 or more units and is all-electric. Subject to the established rules of the cooperative.
Service Availability Charge: $58.00
First 500 kWh: $0.12799/kWh
Over 500 kWh: $0.10859/kWh
Higher bills than usual? Your electric bill can fluctuate for a variety of reasons. Before you contact us at CMEC about your high bill, look into these possible reasons that may explain why your bill was higher than average.
Longer Billing Period
CMEC’s meters are automatically read, however, sometimes holidays and meter reading schedules can shorten or extend a billing cycle. Look carefully at your bill to determine if the number of days you were billed was higher this month.
Increased Heating & Cooling
When extreme weather conditions exist outside, the temperature inside is adjusted. During the hottest months of the summer and the coldest months of the winter, our members often increase their energy use. Even if you did not adjust the temperature on your thermostat, colder or warmer than average weather probably had your system working overtime to maintain a comfortable temperature inside
Addition of New Household Appliances
When looking at your electric bill, consider any recent purchases or upgrades that may be drawing additional power in your home.
Electronics and other gadgets are making us more ‘plugged’ in each year. Televisions account for about 4 percent of annual residential electricity, and the newer, high-definition TVs (HDTVs) draw even more power. One 50-inch plasma high-definition TV (HDTV) uses approximately 679 kilowatt-hours of electricity per year. A 32-inch liquid-crystal display with HDTV capability was pegged at 387 kWh per year. By contrast, an older analog 34-inch TV was estimated to use just 209 kWh per year. And don’t forget about that DVD player, digital cable box and surround-sound system.
Electronics aren’t the only culprits either. Home upgrades may also be adding to your electric bill. Hot tubs, pools and fountains often surprise homeowners when they learn how much electricity they really use.
Also consider how much time you are spending at home. When the kids are out of school during the summer, they may operate the TV longer during the day, or when the whole family is at home for the holidays, your energy usage may increase
Inefficient Appliances & Needed Repairs
The efficiency of household appliances like air conditioners, washers and dryers has dramatically increased over the last few years. However, older appliances in your home may be losing efficiency, or a needed repair may be what’s drawing more power.
Just a small leak in your water heater could make your water heater work overtime as it refills and continuously reheats. That old refrigerator in your garage may be worth turning off if it’s not being put to good use. If it’s time to shop for new household appliances, choose those that have earned the government’s ENERGY STAR® rating. Contact CMEC to ask about possible rebates on select electric appliances
How is my power bill determined?
Every member is in a specific rate class that is determined by the size and type of service being supplied. Each month the meter is read and the previous month’s reading is subtracted from the current reading. This will show the total amount of usage for the month. The usage is then applied to the rate to determine the current month’s bill. Any previous unpaid amount is added, and the total is the amount that is due by the due date.
Can my meter be tested for accuracy & does it cost me anything?
Traditionally, when a meter starts to have problems, it slows down instead of speeding up. If a member requests a test before the routine testing date, there will be a charge. This must be paid in advance. If a problem is found with the meter, the charge is refunded and the bill is adjusted. If the meter test determines the meter to be accurate, the member forfeits the $75. As of 2023, every CMEC member had a new meter installed for our AMI system. These meters can be read automatically from our office.
Are the breakers below my meter my responsibility or the Cooperative's?
The breakers below the meter are the member’s property and responsibility (as well as the meter service itself). They are required in order to provide fire and rescue personnel (as well as linemen) a safe method to shut off electrical service when needed.
What is the Service Availability Charge?
The Service Availability Charge ensures that expectations for continuous power and outstanding service are met. It gives each of our 9500 members a fair and equal share of the cooperative’s operations. It provides funds that must be invested now to maintain the quality, reliability, and integrity of service that our members have traditionally counted on and come to expect.
What is demand?
Demand is how much electricity you are using at one time. It is measured in kilowatts (kW). Electricity is flowing constantly to supply power to our homes and businesses. The more electricity people are using at the same moment, the higher the demand. For example, if you have ten 100-watt light bulbs on at the same time, your demand would be 1,000 watts, or 1 kW. If you then heat something up in a 1,000-watt microwave while these lights are on, your demand will increase by 1,000 watts to a total of 2,000 watts, or 2 kW. Electric demand is not the same as electric consumption. Your electric consumption, a measure of how much electricity you use over a given time period, is billed in kilowatt-hours (kWh).
